At War with Peace
by PrussianCrystal
Summary: (AU) Heero is captured from his palace and taken to a place where he must live as an orphan with a boy named Duo Maxwell. (2x1) -See full summary)
1. Default Chapter

warpeace.html Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing....MWAHAHA...but I am insane. 

Fic Notes: AU!! Completely and totally Alternate Universe!! Yaoi-ish....I'm afraid to say Shounen ai..cuz I don't know...so I'm gonna say yaoi-ish. 2+1..Duo's kinda dominant in this fic. Angst, sap, all that good stuff. ^_^ 

Summery: The heir Heero Yuy is kidnapped by the assassins that killed his mother and father. They disobey orders and take Heero to America instead of bringing him to Princess Relena, not wanting risk Heero taking over the power there. In America, Heero gradually learns to love a boy named Duo Maxwell, that has been in love with him ever since he laid eyes on the Prince. When Relena finds out that Heero wasn't actually killed in action, like the assassins say he was, she orders the truth out of them and goes to find Heero herself. 

At War with Peace   
-Chapter One 

At first I thought that maybe I was just unfortunate. An unfortunate fifteen year old that was going to spend the rest of his life in pain because of something he had no control over. By saying pain, I don't mean, "Ouch, that hurt." I mean miserable loneliness and depression. I soon found out that I was unfortunate, but that was not all. Who would have thought a couple gunshots could alter the way you live for an eternity? Those gunshots brought me to this place. An orphanage on an Island off the coast of North America. Those gunshots tore me away from my only love, for a love that ceased to exist. Those were the gunshots that turned me from royalty, to a rat, that was in one hell of a rat trap. I was brought up to think that everything was going to be easy for me. I didn't have to worry about anything, and that love would be so easy to find, along with the happiness that comes with it. 

Boy, was I wrong. 

I guess I should start at the beginning. That's a logical place to start. My name is Heero Yuy. I was once the heir to the royal family in the Rippa Na Tatemono(1) estate. The entire royal family is part Japanese, which I where I go my name, and the ability to speak some Japanese, since my mother was nearly three quarters of it, always going around saying, "Tatte kudasai!", or "Shizuka ni shite kudasai!". I picked up a few things from her. Ah, and you might have noticed how I said, "My mother *was*" That's right, she's dead. Both my parents, actually. 

They were murdered the day my mother found out she was pregnant again. I guess someone thought we were getting too powerful. Assassins sneak in every night practically, but I was trained to fight them off. I had my own personal trainer who taught me some Japanese fighting moves. None had *ever* brought guns. They'd usually have swords or even bows and arrows (talk about old fashion) and those types of things were easily defeated. The men who killed my parents had guns. 

Lots of guns. 

They had wanted to end my parents' reign once and for all. They didn't bother with me, killing me that is. They made sure I would never see the estate again, though. Oh, and before I explain how I was captured and brought to this awful place, let me say that I was engaged. Yes, engaged at fifteen. That's highly normal from where I come from, especially for an heir. My parents were eager for me to have children, what a surprise. My parents expected everything from me. Of course, the idea of reproducing was sickening to me. The fact is, I'm not into girls. I never told my parents that. They would probably send me to die in the dungeon or even beheaded me. Being a homosexual and being the heir to the Rippa Na Tatemono estate was *not* a good match. My parents usually had girls from the villages lines up for me, to do petty little dances or sing with awful voices. I didn't care for any. 

However, there one girl which my parents just adored. Her name was Relena Peacecraft. She was heiress to a throne in the Sanc Kingdom. The Sanc Kingdom was once our rivals, but somehow my father and the King Peacecraft worked out some sort of arrangement. I never thought marrying Relena would be part of it. Now frankly, I despised the girl. Every time she came to visit she would be hovering over me, watching every little thing I did, groping me, playing with my hair, it made me sick. The only place I had privacy was in the bathroom. That's where I spent most of my time when she was around. I don't know why my parents would make me marry her just for the sake of peace in our country! Well, I guess maybe that's reasonable, but my parents never thought of how I might feel about the entire situation. All they cared about were themselves. 

I am not afraid to state that I was partially relieved when my parents were assassinated. 

Now, how I got *here* is a completely different story. I expected the assassins were some people from the Sanc Kingdom, there to kill my parents, kidnap me and take me back to their kingdom to marry Relena. *That* I wasn't too thrilled about. Who knows what they would allow her to do to me while I was on her grounds. I would be a toy, a servant. However, that wasn't their original plan. Little did I know all the assassins wanted to do was get rid of me. They didn't kill me; that would be against Princess Relena's orders, so I guessed the assassins were planning to lie to her and say I was killed in action. These assassins were not fond of myself or my parents. Perhaps that was why they had to dispose of me. 

I never expected I would end up where I did. We crossed the borderline of the Japanese country and I was brought straight across the world, all the way to America. They didn't tell me this, of course, but I could tell where I was. No one can mistake America for any other country. The ride there wasn't exactly pleasant either. They kept me in some sort of cage the entire time, giving me no food and no water, although their pet monkey would manage to throw me some grub once in while, after much coaxing. It was cute monkey, I miss it already. I'll tell you, after many days in that cage without one trip to the bathroom, the cage, as well as myself, was looking mighty unsanitary. I spent the ride huddled up in a clean corner of it, crying miserably, vomiting from sea sickness, and that horrid smell that lurked about. Anyway, not to get to any extremely graphic detail of how dirty I was, my journey ended at the coast of some island off of North America. 

At first I thought it might be a prison island, or newly discovered island that was still be constructed. The truth was more close to the latter. Before they dumped me off, they carried me in chains all the way to a city, when I remember my eyes nearly lit up at the site of all the busy streets, tall buildings, but beautiful just the same, one side of it at least. The old, nasty looking buildings was on the side that the assassins dropped me off at, in an alley, in some garbage. Well, I couldn't smell any worse than I already did, so, what the heck. After that, they pointed a gun at my neck, said some things I do not wish to repeat, and left me there, alone, in a pile of garbage, in a place I had never been to in my life. I was having the time of my life, ne? 

It was there my new life began. For days I wandered the streets, using what was left of the money I had taken with me to buy food and new clothes. The assassins had stolen most of my money, taken my jewels, gold necklaces and bracelets my parents forced me to wear, but there were some places I hid money where no one was bound to check. I had my underwear specially made with a little pocket inside, so I stored my extra special jewelry and money I didn't want anyone's hands on there. Unfortunately, all of the clothes I was wearing at the time had to go. There were trash now, and I wanted to look like a normal kid. Something I wasn't used to. I wore a black hooded sweatshirt and tight blue jeans the day I was finally noticed. I was sure my face was soiled with dirt, my hair was dirty and greasy, and my skin was a shade darker than it normally was because of it's thick coat of filth. Who in the right mind would talk to someone looking like that? 

I'll tell you who. Duo Maxwell. My first real friend ever since I got to that country. He found me lingering over the orphanage, debating whether or not to go inside. I didn't know how orphanages treated kids, and if I turned myself in, they wouldn't let me go until I was eighteen. I didn't like that thought either. I could tell just by looking at Duo that he was an orphan as well. He was not coated in dirt like I was, but he wore shaggy brown pants and a gray tank top. His shoes were mere sandals and he was extremely skinny. Not starving skinny like I was, but not the type of guy who looked like he was fed every day. What really caught my attention was his long brown hair woven into a braid that hung nearly to his thighs. In my country, men were not permitted to have hair past their shoulders. I found it stunning though, and went perfectly with bright violet eyes. It's strange, but I remember out first conversation perfectly. 

*** 

I was sitting on the steps leading up to the orphanage, watching him come closer to me. He was looking at me, but I had no idea he had the intention of speaking to me. As he approached the step below me, he grinned, then plopped himself to sit down on the step I was sitting on, scooting over so close that out hips were touching. I did nothing but watch in confusion when the boy leaned over, placing one hand on my knee to steady himself, and brought his face so close to mine that our noses were touching. 

"Hi!" He yelled. I was so alarmed I fell backwards and hit my head onto the step I was leaning against with a sickening smack. I groaned in pain and rubbed my head, still not sitting up, everything was spinning at the moment. The boy was still leaning over me, peering down at me with concerned eyes. I caught his eyes with mine, giving him an annoyed frown. We stayed like that for a while, simply staring at each other. Then he slowly reached out and brushed his fingers against my cheek. He paused, wiping off some of the dirt. 

"You're an orphan? Or is your bathtub broken?" He asked, grinning again. I was not amused. I sat up, pushing his hand away from me and then shoving him off of me, giving myself a little much needed space. He stumbled backwards, alarmed. "Hey, no need to be violent. Can I help you?" He asked. Could he help me? Of course he could help me. I was desperately in need of some help. I had been ever since three men came barging into my room with guns! Did anyone help me then? Of course not! I'm *only* the heir to the throne of the Rippa Na Tatemono estate! 

I managed to give the boy a confused nod, and that was all he needed. He grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me to my feet. I ignored the spinning sensation that waved over me and allowed the boy to lead me up the stairs. It was only when we got to top that I realized he was planning on taking me inside. I yanked my arm away from him. 

"I don't want...I mean, I don't know if I want to go in there." I explained to him after I yanked my arm away. I couldn't help wondering that if I went in there, if I ever would come out. 

"You're dirty." He pointed out. I wanted to say 'duh,' but I just sighed and shook my head at him. I could tell he wasn't as intelligent as I was. I was brought up taught by the best teachers in the kingdom. I learned proper manners, reading and math skills, and even a bit of science study. I guess he noticed the look on my face. "Do you un-der-stand?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow and he grabbed my arm again, scraping a little bit of dirt off with his fingernail and then waving it in my face. "Do-you-want-a-bath?" My mouth dropped open. What did he think I was, illiterate? "Wa-ter. Bath." He tried to explain. I resisted the urge to slap him. 

"I can understand English you idiot." I snapped. He face faulted. 

"Oh, why didn't you just say so? Come on." He urged, dragging me to the door again. This time I didn't stop him. I didn't want to seem like I was afraid, plus I *was* desperately in need of a bath. If anyone tried to stop me from escaping that orphanage, I'd just whip out some Kong Fu on them. No one messes with the heir to Rippa Na Tatemono! 

As we entered the building, I noticed there were many kids like us strolling around the building. There were males and females, but I guessed everything but the main room was segregated between the two. That's how orphanages were. Even if the children were brother and sister, they would be separated. I frowned at that. My attention was brought back to the boy when he entered the bathing areas. It seemed to be just a bunch of walls with faucets on them. There were no tubs, no curtains, no carpeted floor. What *was* this? 

"What *is* this?" I asked the boy. He looked at me like I was insane. I think he thought I was illiterate again, or that maybe I didn't know as much English as I said I did. 

"These are the showers. See?" He said, guiding me over to one of the faucets on the wall. He told me to stand back and get undressed while he adjusted the water temperature. I stood back and watched as turned the faucet and a spray of water came gushing out. I was alarmed. It was like bathing under an oversized sink! Plus, there were no curtains or doors and anybody could just walk right in and see you! I did *not* approve. He grabbed my hand and held it out under the water, gently rubbing my fingers. 

"See? Wa-ter." He said, scrubbing the dirt off of my hand. I yanked my hand away once again. Maybe it was just something to wash your hands in. Maybe the bathtubs were somewhere else. Maybe they would as large as these giant faucets, some sort of foreign way of cleaning yourself. I studied the faucet once more before putting my hands under the spray of the water, gently cleansing the skin and washing the dirt off. The boy smiled at me. 

"Good job. Now take off your threads and do the rest of ya." He instructed. Well, so much for the giant bathtub idea. Well, at least he wasn't talking to me like I was disabled anymore. I finally decided to obey him and, stepping clear of spray, slipped my sweatshirt over my head, and tossed it to the boy. I forgot that he wasn't a servant when he looked at me oddly. Usually my mother would order the servants to take my clothing down to wash when I was bathing so they'd be clean when I got out. Nevertheless, the boy took my shirt and hung it up on a metal bar near the entrance to the bathing areas. I shrugged and went down to undo my jeans, then looking up to see if the boy was still watching me. He was. I blushed. 

"Are you just going to stand there and watch me?" I asked rather rudely. I didn't care. What he was doing was completely and utterly impolite, especially to me. He shrugged and leaned against the wall, looking somewhere else. I sighed and thinking that's as good as I was going to get, quickly slipped my jeans off my hips and stepped out of the material. Doing the same with my underwear, I tossed them aside and stepped under the spray of the water. I'll tell you something, that was the best I had felt in a *long* time, to the point where the boy watching me didn't disturb me at all. 

I realize that wasn't really a conversation, but it was how we met. The conversation comes later, but I figured you would probably want to here about that too. Oh, don't deny it. 

Once I was clean and dry, and back into my clothes, the boy took me for a tour of the orphanage. Oh, and I guess I should mention that he some sort of obsession with my *face*! He kept touching it and brushing his fingers against my cheek, then bringing his hand down and holding my chin. The strange thing was, I didn't get irritated by it. Not many people in my kingdom were brave enough to touch me so freely. Not even my own parents would lay a hand on my shoulder or brush the hair out of my eyes. No one ever hugged me or kissed me on the forehead, *or* lips for that matter. Simply said, we were not a loving family. That was partially why I wasn't upset when my parents were assassinated. However, it was mostly because I thought I'd be able to get away from Princess Relena; but anyway, I'm getting off the subject. I'm talking about Duo. 

Ah, yes, he did finally tell me his name. That was, of course, after he *had* to register me to the orphanage. I thought that was odd. I had never really told him straight out that I was an orphan. Actually, I really wasn't, not yet anyway. My grandparents were still living, somewhere. My parents had often told me stories about them, but I had never actually met them. I heard they would be coming to castle for the birth of my sibling which no longer exists. Frankly, I'm glad. I didn't want a sibling. I didn't want to see my younger brother or sister be treated as poorly as I was when I was raised. I do feel sorry for the child though, so innocent. Innocence meant nothing in my kingdom. I'm hesitant to lose *my* innocence. I'm afraid to become like my father was. 

It seems that I have wandered away from the subject again. So, you want to know about the conversation that led Duo and I into friendship...and beyond? 

*** 

"Why did you enroll me here? I never said that I wanted to stay here. And for *your* information, I am not an orphan. Do you know who I am?" I asked impatiently as the boy dragged me through the corridors of the orphanage by the wrist. He didn't answer me right away, but I noticed the grin on his face return. I was beginning to enjoy that smile. I could never smile like that, I hardly ever smiled. Unless it was a smile of accomplishing sweet revenge, except that smile often scared people. 

"I don't know who you are, but I am ready to find out." The boy said, gripping my wrist harder as if I would try to squirm away. I didn't resist. If he was going to rob me or something like that I was prepared. Besides, I didn't have any money anyway. Still, as I looked back at him, the meaning to those words became softer. Maybe he just wanted to talk after all. 

I allowed myself to be pulled into a bedroom. I wrinkled my nose at the two bunk beds that were there, one completely occupied, top and bottom, the other with the only the bottom bunk taken. I eyed the top bunk, wishing that wouldn't be where I was staying. I had a tendency to roll around in bed a lot, which was why I needed such an enormous bed at home. I would probably find myself on the floor most mornings. I looked at the boy. He was smiling, must have been happy the other two boys weren't there. He reached behind me and closed the door, then pulled me onto the bottom bunk, sitting next to me. 

"My name is Duo Maxwell." He said, offering his hand. I was sure my mouth dropped open slightly but a took his hand in a friendly handshake. He grinned at me when I did and yanked my hand away, warning him if he touched my face again I was going to touch his; rather hard. More of a slap than a touch. "I knew you didn't mind that I enrolled you. If you did, you would have stopped me." He explained. Well, indeed I would have, at the least the boy had some common sense. 

"Heero Yuy. Heir to the throne of-" 

"Rippa Na Tatemono." He interrupted. My eyes got wide. It wasn't so much surprising that he knew the name of the empire, it was that he said the name with perfect accent, like he was a Japanese descendant. However, I found that to be impossible from just looking at him. The boy looked purely American, as was his name. I guess he saw the question in my eyes because he cleared things up a bit with his next statement. 

"I read the papers. It's one of the few ways to find out what's going on in the world when you live here.." I couldn't help but smirk a bit. He laughed for a moment, but when it cleared looked at the wall in front of us, his expression turning solemn. I stared at him, for a moment like that, in confusion, waiting for him to speak. He bowed his head after a while, looking at his hands in his lap, then turned to me. His expression was still sad, I couldn'd help but let him reach out and run his fingers over my face again. It seemed to make him feel better, that was my first thought. That that was quickly erased when I saw tears gathering at the corners of his violet eyes. 

"I'm sorry.." He sobbed, pulling his hand away and wiping the tears away with it, but keeping his head in his hands. I was speechless. What was going on with this kid? I felt a tightening in my stomach as I watched him cry. Was this about me? Well, maybe I could have been a bit nicer to him since he had allowed me to clean myself. I thought about a kind gesture I could make to him. I didn't know many, raised as I was, so I simply laid my hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. He looked up at me as I touched him. Then something unexpected happened. He blushed. Not just a little, I mean, he *really* blushed. I pulled my hand away and he chuckled slightly. 

"Sorry...it's just that...I've waited so long to meet you." He muttered. My eyebrows raised. I never would have thought anybody would want to meet *me*. I thought everyone thought of me as a spoiled little prince that was happy all the time and could never experience sorrow. That's how I was displayed in newspapers and television. I hated when I was manipulated into saying things about my life and my family that weren't true. I looked away from him, staring at my shoes. 

"Why would you want to meet *me*? Don't you think I'm a snot like the rest of them?" I already knew this boy wasn't like the rest of them, the many girls and even boys were drooled over me constantly, begging my parents to let them take my hand in marriage. I was treated like a prize that would be given away. I often thought down on myself a lot also, thinking my life was cheap, that no one could ever really fall in love with me; or even love me for that matter. I looked back at Duo to see how he would react to that statement. 

"Of course not, Heero! I think you're great! I know you're really not the person publicity makes you out to be." He said. I didn't quite understand. How could he know so much about me and not be the slightest bit confused about why I was here, in America? Or why he acted like I was just some regular old stranger he met on the streets? Then again, I did the blush on his face when I took of my shirt in the shower areas. Maybe he wasn't lying. Maybe he *did* really have something for me. Still, I didn't know what I would do if he did. 

"Do you know about my parents?" I asked. His grin faded, and he nodded slowly, like it was some sort of sad occasion. I wondered if it would be all right to tell him that I didn't exactly care that my parents died. That I was actually relieved. Not that my parents were abusive, if they were I would have thrown a party when they died, I may have actually hired the assassins to kill them myself. 

"I suppose the newspapers mentioned that I was kidnapped as well?" I asked. Duo nodded again, biting his lower lip. 

"They have no idea where you are. I was so thrilled when I saw you I didn't know what to do. I was tempted to enroll you here. Don't you realize I've been longing for this sort of situation to happen, but never thought it would? It has always been a dream of mine, to see you, alone, lost, scared. To take care of you, to wash the dirt off your perfect hands and touch that perfect face...." His voice trailed off and he began to blush again. I couldn't control the slight redness of my cheeks at that moment either, and I felt he muscles in my stomach tightening again. 

"And that's another thing.." Duo started, smiling a smile that sent waves through my body, and I absently realized my palms were beginning to sweat. That had never happened before. I never felt that way before when I looked at someone. Maybe it was because my parents had usually kept me away from males, and surrounded me with ladies showing off their outer beauty, with no inner beauty at all. All of those ladies were so arrogant, showing themselves off like they were the best thing in the world. 

"W-what is?" I asked, trying to ignore the sweaty palms as best a good, trying not to play with my hands too much as he spoke. He gaze at me became more intense, and I saw his hand go up again, guessing he was going to touch my face again. Yet, he went for my hair this time, sighing as he ran his hand through it, then pulling back, fingertips brushing up against my cheek. 

"You're so beautiful. You should have seen the look on my face the first time I saw your picture in the newspaper, the other guys thought I had gone into a state of shock." He giggled. I frowned a bit. I had never thought of myself as "beautiful". I had always thought that was a term for a lady, that's what my parents taught me at least. Yet, something about the way he said it told me he wasn't talking about the beauty of a lady. I felt the urge the comment back to him, after all, here he is talking about how great I am and I don't say one word thanks or return his kind words. I was nervous, I didn't know what to say. 

"Um..t-thank you?" I sounded like a complete idiot, I knew I did. I didn't want to object, in fear of insulting him, although it would show a sense of modesty. Was that good or bad? I had to face the truth, I knew *nothing* about being in love. I had never been in love before, as much as my parents tried to convince me otherwise. Now, I'm not saying I was in love with Duo right then and there. I was still pretty confused about everything, yet he was showing me a sense of friendship which I had also never experienced before. Then again, I figured I must have said the right thing, because Duo erupted in giggles and leaned forward, landing straight into my arms, burrowing his head in the crook of my neck. 

I didn't know how to react to that, after all, I had never been hugged. I felt better than I thought it would, especially the way his hair tickled the base of my neck as he snuggled there, and the way his arms were around me, warming the skin under the fabric of my shirt. We must have stayed like that for five minutes at *least*. I wonder if it felt as good to him as it did to me.. 

Unfortunately, that was only the beginning. The beginning of everything. Fortunately for our relationship, yet not for what was in store for me. I knew I couldn't be hidden for long, and that maybe the assassins didn't hide me well enough. Even though she was clear across the Earth from where I was, Relena Peacecraft gradually made my life extremely difficult. 

To be continued 

AN-Hey everybody! So, how do like it so far? This chapter turned out longer than it was supposed to be, so I can't say the next chapters are going to be this long. ^_^;; But I'll try my best if this turns out to be a good fic....which it probably won't be. -_- Hey, I can dream, right? 

(1) - "Rippa Na Tatemono" is Japanese for "Magnificent Building"   
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Hating Love

warpeace2.html Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing....MWAHAHA..but I am insane. 

Fic Notes: Pretty much the same warnings as before. Angst, sap, all that good stuff. ^_^   


At War with Peace   
-Chapter Two   
Hating Love 

As I am sitting here, thinking of how the best life for me became the worse, I have come to conclusion that it was all about my past. My past brought every bad thing in this Earth crashing my way, and while year after year I would stand there and be hit with what life threw at me, there was only one power so strong as to catch all of those terrible things. That was love. When I was a young boy, I didn't have love. I didn't even know what love is, and I didn't until I met Duo. Who would have thought that loving someone could tear you up inside, and out? 

I'll tell you one thing, life at the orphanage was better than any life I had ever experienced. People say high living is the only way to go. I shudder to think of how wrong those people are. Sure, I got luxury, wealth, and I was always clean and in good health. It was only when I was dropped on the foreign island of America that I began to realize there were some things that were just more important. Now, I'm not saying that my health isn't important to me anymore. It's one of the most important factors is my life. As the spoiled brat that I once was, health was the most important factor. *My* health. Everything focused on me. Well, could you blame me? No one else that I knew meant anything to me. 

Anyway, I suppose you want me to get back to story of Duo and I. I warn you, the happiness doesn't last for long. Happiness is such a wonderful gift, that of which can only be given for such a short amount of time. I sigh as I think of how ever so true that statement is. My happiest days were the days that I spent with Duo. He was unlike anyone I had ever met before. He was kind, cheerful, funny, and all that other good stuff that makes a person feel like life is worth living. I was so afraid that he wouldn't like me anymore if he found out who I really was, how I was raised not to pay any attention to other people's emotions. He was too good for me. 

After our little hugging moment in the bedroom, Duo introduced me our other two roommates, Wufei and Trowa. They too seemed to know who I was by taking one look at me. I wondered why everyone else on the streets didn't. Trowa seemed like a nice guy, kind of silent, but Wufei on the other hand...he just seemed to have issues. It seemed like he never stopped frowning, and was always saying something about honor. "It's an *honor* to meet you Heero Yuy." "I'm honored that your staying here in our living quarters." He also talked very professional, never used slang or street words, like I noticed Duo and Trowa sometimes did. I was afraid I talked too much in a 'Royal' manner, but got over it listening to that Wufei guy talk. 

After they went back to God knows where, I think Duo mentioned about them being in a community service program, Duo took me back to the room and helped me get settled in. Since I had no belongings with me, Duo offered taking me the store to get a few things, his treat, but until then I could just use his stuff. He threw his extra sleeping bag up on my bunk, and even let me use his second pillow. He said it was hard for him to sleep with only one, but then again it would be hard for me to sleep with none. That amused me. After that he offered to show me the school. Now, please note that I have never been to school before. I had my own personal teachers come to estate and teach me there, but never a public school. I was quite nervous about attending school. Who wouldn't be? 

Nevertheless, I followed Duo around the block to the high school for orphans. I never thought the school would be *just* for orphans, but I guessed that would make things easier on the teachers. I didn't like the looks of that school. It was fairly large, easy to get lost in, and it looked very dirty. The walls were marked with graffiti and the paint had turned an ugly yellowish color, if it wasn't that color to begin with. Duo had made a remark about how ugly it was, so at least I knew I wasn't alone. I imagined that place would crawling with cock roaches, however when I mentioned that to Duo, he just laughed. 

We couldn't actually go on campus because the school was closed on weekends, and no one was even allowed to go in, so we headed back to the orphanage. Duo said he would have to wait until next weekend to take me shopping because he had some sort of exam to cram for. I didn't mind. I was awfully tired that evening anyway, and I enjoyed talking to Duo on the steps leading to the orphanage, even if he did have his nose in a book half of the time. He explained how he became an orphan, which was quite surprising. I figured he might be hesitant to tell be about his family. Sometimes discussing that kind of thing, especially to near stranger, could be quite difficult. Duo expressed his feelings openly though, and I liked that in a person. 

I remember when it was getting late, to the point where Duo wasn't studying anymore, just looking at the books and talking to me, he scooted over next to me and rested his head on my shoulder. I welcomed the gesture completely, enjoying the way his soft hair touched my neck and his braid rested along my arm at my side. When he was finished talking, I talked. I spilled my guts out to him. Everything from how I was raised forced to like girls, and I grew up not liking them at all. Duo agreed to that, and somewhere in between out conversation his hand found mine, and I rested mine on top of his until it got chilly and we were ready to inside. Duo explained to me about curfew, how we had to be indoors by eight. It didn't matter to me. I was rarely outside in the days when I was living at the estate. Was it that long ago? I guess time moves quickly when you're in love.. 

Ah, but then again, I wasn't in love at that point. I keep forgetting that, since I'm completely in love with Duo now. You have to understand it is difficult for me to focus on the past now. Those were the happiest days of my life, the days I'm describing now. It all ending too soon, and it hurts to remember. However, I shall tell you, because I know the beginning of the story is just as important as the story itself. So I guess I will start, from where I left off... 

*** 

I shuddered slightly as the warmth engulfed me as we entered the orphanage. Maybe outside had been a bit more chilly than I predicted. The main room wasn't as crowded as before, I figured everyone must be in their rooms getting ready for bed. However, Duo didn't seem to be leading me to our room, we were going down a hall I didn't recognize. I didn't bother to ask, just waited to see where he was taking me. After a moments walking we came to two, large silver doors. Duo pushed on them and they swung open, then grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. I found myself in some sort of mess hall. There were a couple people eating at tables, a couple who waved to Duo when he came in. He spun around to face me, that grin that I loved plastered on his face. 

"Hungry?" He asked. Boy, was I ever. I hadn't eaten well since the morning my mother and father were killed. That had been about three weeks, and I figured I was getting pretty damn skinny. I gave Duo a nod, even though I hardly needed to by the way I was beginning to drool looking at all that food. He chuckled and grabbed my arm again, tugging me to one of the empty tables. Once I was seated he said, 

"You stay here. I'll go get us some of the good stuff. Most of stuff here is rotten anyway, it just doesn't look that way. I'll let you know what to eat and what not to eat." At that point, I really didn't care if the food I ate was rotten, just as long as it was food. Still, I gave him another nod and he took off running towards what looked to be the kitchen. I didn't noticed the smile that formed on my face as I watched him run, braid flying as if trying to keep up with him. 

I lost myself in my thoughts waiting for Duo to return. I was looking around the room, at people, sometimes catching strange glancing from them, and briefly wondered if life here was better than luxury life. The people I saw seemed happier than I had ever been at the estate. Seeing them, happily chatting with their friends, it seemed much better than sitting at home, drinking tea with your legs crossed and your pinkie extended. My thoughts were interrupted my the loud sound of Duo slamming a tray of food down in front of me. My eyes descended on the food. Most of it looked edible, except for the bowl of brown liquid with little green things floating inside of it. 

"What is that?" I asked, my voice in a sickened tone, one finger pointed at the liquid. Duo laughed, I guessed at my expression, and to my complete surprise he picked up the bowl and drank the substance down in one slurp. 

"It's got all the vitamins you need. I have to drink one at least twice a week because they say I'm not eating well for a teenage boy." Duo said after wiping the brownish liquid off his lips with the back of his hand, then rubbing it on his pant leg. I said nothing about that. I chose to ignore that comment all together and concentrate on my food. There was two of everything on the try so I just picked out one of each, wasting no time digging in. I hardly noticed Duo sitting across from me, watching me eat with a smile on his face. I looked up at him when I was about half way done. 

"Aren't you going to eat?" I asked. He gave me a questioning look and then looked down at his plate, which was still empty. He shrugged, looking away from the plate and back at me. 

"I'm not really hungry. That vitamin drink should be enough until tomorrow. You can have my food if you want. You seem like you're really starving." He offered, pushing the tray towards me. I blinked, stared at him for a second before shrugging and digging in to his food as well. I ate only the things I liked, ignoring the remarks Duo gave about "not liking this" or "liking that." I told him I was a picky eater. I was. 

After supper we headed back to the room, him pulling me along by the arm again, afraid I was going to run away or something. I didn't bother trying to pull away. I kind of liked the feeling of my arm in his hand. Once we got to the room he let go of my arm, pushed the door open with his knee and grabbed the sleeve of my sweatshirt, pulling me inside. I let myself be pulled, and noticed Duo held onto my arm until he got the door shut. I looked around to see Trowa staring at us through the corner of his visible eye, the other covered by his spiky bangs, and Wufei on the top bunk reading what appeared to be a book written in Chinese. 

"Hey guys, lights out as soon as Heero and I get ready for bed. I need a lot of sleep tonight for that exam tomorrow." Duo announced. Wufei grunted in response and Trowa nodded, closing his eyes and lying back on his bed. The two of them were already in their night clothes, which consisted of sweat pants and gray and white T-shirts. I always slept in royal blue silk pajamas, but I guessed I'd have to improvise and or change my ways from then on. 

I silently watched Duo slip off his tank top, revealing a slim chest and stomach, *so* slim his ribs were visible. Maybe those vitamins weren't enough for Duo after all. He caught me staring at him, probably wondering why I was, and his eyes suddenly lit up in awareness. 

"Oh yeah, feel free to borrow some of my sleeping threads, Heero." He said. I looked away just as he was undoing his belt and walked to the drawer closest to our bunk. I opened the top drawer and looked at Duo, who pointed to the one below it. I nodded and opened the suggested drawer, and found an entire mass of sweat pants and T-shirts. I cocked an eyebrow and dug out a black T-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants. I changed quickly, folding up my day clothes and placing them in a pile beside the bunk. After climbing on to my top bunk, which I wasn't too thrilled, about, I looked below me to see if Duo was ready for bed. He was, and looked exhausted too. That was strange. He hadn't looked tired just a few seconds ago. I reached up and rubbed my eyes, there was a lot of dust up there on that bunk. 

"All right, Wufei, I'd suggest getting I reading light because I'm hitting to sack." I heard Duo say. I looked over my shoulder at Wufei, who just grunted in response for the second time that night. However, he tossed his book on the floor next to the dresser next to their bed. As soon as it hit the floor the entire room became dark with a click of the light switch. At the estate, I had lights that turned on and off when I clapped. Well, that wasn't such an enormous loss. I watched in the darkness as Duo slipped into the bed below mine, only seeing shapes and outlines in the dark. I watched until I heard the sounds of the mattress, then lied back on the pillow Duo had given me. It smelled like his hair. 

I pulled the blankets up to my chin, tucking them under it as I wrapped the material securely around me. I had always slept like that, even on hot nights. I always needed a blanket around at all times. I guess it was because I just felt so exposed when I was asleep, like an assassin could just come in and stab a knife in my heart, not that I'm saying the blanket could protect me from that. It just made me feel better in some odd way. That night I thought I heard Duo whisper goodnight to me, but I was half asleep, too tired to say anything in response. 

To say the least, I slept horrible that night. It was just a tiny improvement from sleeping in that cage on the boat. I woke in my sleep occasionally, covered in cold sweat. My blanket was usually around my knees, but I didn't bother to pull it back up. I was extremely tired, though it took be at least an hour to get back to sleep every time. Once I woke up having to the go the bathroom. That usually didn't happen while I was living at the estate, I wouldn't have to go until morning. It was that night I realized I could not go to sleep feeling like my bladder was going to explode. There was just one problem, I had no idea where the nearest bathroom was, and I didn't want to wake Duo, but I really had no choice. I didn't want to be stumbling around an unfamiliar hallway in the dark looking for a toilet. 

Flinging my legs over the side of the bunked and letting them dangle there, I sat up and tried to focus. I was so tired and I became dizzy as I sat up. I knew that couldn't be a good sign. I hoped I wouldn't be sick the next day, except it would give me an excuse to miss my first day of school. Slowly, I lowered myself off of the bed, holding on the side of the top bunk until my feet reached the floor. I kneeled down beside Duo's bed, trying to make out what position he was in. Reaching out, I felt the back of his head, and the long braid which my fingers followed all the way to the end. Smiling slightly, I patted Duo on the back, lightly. That didn't do it. 

"Duo." I whispered as loudly as I could without waking the other two boys in the room. My hand found his shoulder, and I shook him slightly. Much to my relief, I heard his mumble something and he turned over, looking at me under half closed eyelids. His face scrunched up and he yawned, rather loudly, and stretched out his arms. 

"What's wrong, Heero?" He asked sleepily. I blushed, thankful he couldn't see the tint of red on my cheeks in the dark. 

"I, um, have to go to the bathroom. Could you show me where it is?" I whispered. Then came Duo's grin, that ear to ear grin and that sparkle in his eyes. He chuckled slightly and pushed my shoulders, making room for him to get out of bed. I stood up and backed up towards the door, waiting for Duo lead the way. He yawned and walked over the door, swinging it open, taking my arm and escorting me out the door. His cool hand felt good on my burning skin. The thought crossed my mine that maybe I was ill after all. I wouldn't doubt it. After all, I had been stuck in a cage for two weeks with almost no food, and I had stuffed myself that night. My body was *not* reacting normally. 

I kept my free hand out at my side while we were walking, making sure I wasn't going to bump into any walls. It was completely, dark, and I couldn't even see Duo walking beside me. I guess that was part of reason why he took my arm. It seemed like an eternity, at least for burning stomach, to reach the bathroom. Duo pushed open the door and clicked on the light. I had to squint my eyes because of the brightness. Once they adjusted, I looked around the bathroom. It looked like a regular public bathroom, a few stalls and a couple urinals. Duo raised an eyebrow when I went straight for a stall instead of a urinal. Well, at least I felt a lot better when I was done. 

After I had cleansed my hands well, Duo led me back to the room. By then we were both wide awake, and I sighed thinking of the difficult time I would have trying to get to sleep again. While we were walking back, Duo took my hand instead of my arm. I smiled slightly, knowing that he couldn't see it in the darkness. He moved closer to me, sighing against the back of my shoulder as we walked. I could almost feel him smiling. When we finally got back into the room, Duo yawned and hopped back into his bed, stretching luxuriously. I climbed up to mine, lying back down on the uncomfortable mattress. To reduce the amount of heat to my body, I took off my shirt and threw it down at the foot of my bed, then climbed under the covers, and finally was able to sleep. 

*** 

I guess I should say that the night of the infamous indigestion, was the last night I was able to sleep well. It was the days after that, when I began to hate love. Not Duo, but love itself. Any one who's ever been in love knows that it causes to you to act differently then you usually do, and you may not even think the same thoughts. I know for sure that I was a changed man when I fell in love with Duo. I thought that was a good thing, but I never thought of how much it would hurt if I lost that love. 

It was Monday night when the assassins came. 

To be continued 


	3. The Day the Sun Set at Sunrise

warpeace3.html Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing....MWAHAHA..but I am insane. 

Fic Notes: Violence, language, shounen ai, angst, sap.   
At War with Peace   
-Chapter Three   
The Day the Sun Set at Sunrise 

~The Sanc Kingdom 

"Your majesty, the assassins have returned." Princess Relena looked up, spotted one of her servants standing before her throne. The Princess pushed a strand her of her long golden hair behind her ear before speaking with the most uninterested tone. 

"Bring them in." She said in the cold tone that she had always possessed, a feminine, yet dominant voice. The servant bowed his head, then turned swiftly towards the giant doors of the throne. Gripping the door handles with both arms, the servant pulled the doors open with all his strength, so that they were parallel to the sides of red carpet that laid all the way to the Princess's throne. Standing there were the three assassins that had been ordered to seize the Empire of Rippa Na Tatemono. 

"You may enter." The servant ordered with in his monotone voice, then stepping aside so the three huge men could enter. The large men, looking as if they could simply push the small servant to the other side of the room, stepped in and walked towards the throne, taking giant, pounding steps towards the Princess, who looked completely unafraid and un-alarmed. As the assassins approached the throne they got down of one knee, bowing their heads to the Princess. 

"Your mission status, gentlemen." 

"Accomplished, your majesty." The assassin in the middle spoke, never lifted his head or getting up on his feet. His voice as deep and coarse, raspy and deadly. The Princess had a feeling that the men were only doing to job for the money, not because they wished to served the kingdom. She didn't even know where the men were originally from, or if they had escaped from a jail or not. Quite frankly, she didn't care. She was afraid of no one, and had plenty of men to protect her kingdom. 

"Have you already taken the prisoner to the dungeon, then?" The Princess questioned. The assassin lifted his head, and she could see the hesitation on his face. Her eyebrow's curved inward. 

"The prisoner, gentlemen? If you do not recall a part of your mission was to bring the heir of the Rippa Na Tatemono estate to *me*." Her voice was raised an anger, fists clenched. The mission would not be complete until the boy was at her palace, the only exception being that he was killed. 

"Your majesty, the heir was killed. We found him dead in his room. Perhaps he heard the gunshots and killed himself before we could get to him.. Our most sincere apologies." The assassin explained. Princess Relena's eyes lit up in rage. She got up from her place at the throne, walking towards the men, long dress dragging on the floor behind her. 

"I told you, I did want the boy dead!" She yelled, practically nose to nose with the head assassin. 

"Your majesty, we did not disobey orders. You ordered us not to *kill* the boy. You cannot kill us if we didn't commit the crime." The assassin reasoned. 

"How do I know that is the truth?" The Princess asked. When the assassin did not answer, she frowned again, "But since there is no evidence of if the crime was committed or not, each one you shall have one of your hands taken for allowing this to happen." At first the three assassins seemed completely fine with this, as if they had known that's what would have happened to them, but as the princess called in one of her guards to take each of their hands, one assassin began to look uneasy. 

As the blade was lied against this assassin's wrist, then lifted up, the assassin screamed and moved his hand away just as the blade came down for the kill. The other two assassins along with the Princess gasped as his actions. 

"No, it's the truth! The heir is alive! He's alive, I tell you!" The assassin yelled, gripping his wrist. He looked apologetic at the other two assassins, who were glaring at him through clenched teeth. With a flick of her wrist the Princess ordered the guard away, and walked up to the assassin who resisted the blade. 

"Where is he?" She was practically nose to nose with the man, who was breathing heavily with fright. Knowing that his fellow assassins would probably kill him if he gave away the information, hesitated, grasping his wrist with his other hand. Thinking of the consequences just made matters worse. If he told the Princess, he would be able to keep his hand. However, the worse case scenario would be that the other two assassins would kill him, or the heir to Rippa Na Tatemono would take over the Sanc kingdom and his reputation there would either be destroyed, or he would be arrested. 'Damnit, I should have kept my mouth shut.' He thought. 

"Well?!" The assassin jumped as Princess Relena's piercing scream echoed off the walls of the palace. He stuttered nervously, glancing over at the other assassins, who were glaring at him as equally as the Princess was. 

"W-we took him to an island off the coast of the North America, to the West." He mumbled. The Princess's glare got more icy. 

"Do you remember how to get there?" She asked. The assassin looked over at the other two, who looked as though they had no intention of talking. 

"Well, I don't know your majesty. We took a ship and everything and all we had was some crummy old map and a compass and I think it would be really difficult to find the exact same island." He said this all too quickly but the Princess finally stepped back, walking back to her throne. 

"You will take the jet to get there." Before the assassins could say anything or even gasp in astonishment, she Princess continued quickly. "You will arrive at the island tomorrow morning with that jet, and you will find the heir and bring him back to me. This time, even if he *is* actually killed, all three of you will lose your heads. Understood?" 

The three assassins could only bow in response. 

*** 

Mornings have always been a hassle for me. Everyday of the week aside from Sunday my servants, or should I say, my *parents'* servants, woke me up at seven a.m. I then would be bathed, dressed, fed, and trained within the next three hours of my rise. At ten-o-clock I would go into town, which my parents usually forbade, not that it made any difference to me. They didn't care what happened to me anyway. In town I went in disguise, so I wouldn't attract a crowd, although not many people were fond of me anyhow. That didn't disturb me, since being in rule didn't mean you had to be liked in my kingdom, my father had enormous power, and although I doubted it greatly, he told me once that he would hand down his entire fortune to me. Of course, after the baby was conceived, plans were changed. Somehow my parents thought the baby would be a better person than I was. That might have been true if they took the time to get to know the child, like they refused to do with me. 

Anyway, I seem to be talking about my parents a lot. My parents are long gone now, and I'm surprised I'm remembering them this much, thinking of what could have become of me if they had lived to manipulate me any further. What would have happened if I hadn't met Duo.. I'll tell you now, I'm grateful that my parents are dead. No future could be any better for me than a future with Duo. 

As I was saying, mornings at the palace are usually a hassle. Well, it was quite a surprise to me how easy mornings seemed to be at the orphanage. I wasn't woken up until 8:00, and Duo told me that I could sleep as late as I wanted on Saturday and Sunday. An extra day would be bliss. Sleeping is one of my favorite things to do. Breakfast is at 8:30, giving everyone just enough to time to take a shower and get dressed, then school was at 9:15. Ah, school. The one thing I feared most about this new way of living. Perhaps you'd like to hear my first encounter? Well, that didn't come until later, much later, after the assassins came. I guess you'd like to hear about that as well, so I shall start at 7:47 Monday. 

I felt a lot better when I woke Monday morning. My back didn't, from sleeping on that awful mattress, but at least my stomach would be prepared for breakfast that morning. Blinking my eyes open, the first thing I spotted was the window right across from my bunk, open, and a cool breeze was flowing into the tiny room. A cold sweat covered my bare chest, and the breeze against it felt good. I didn't want to move. If I moved I would be brought back to my kidnapped reality. I wasn't ready to wake up. 

I listened to the sounds of the room. Soft snoring coming from the top bunk beside me. Wufei, I remembered. I lifted my head just a bit so I could see him, huddled up under the covers, everything covered but the top of his head. There were sounds of birds chirping from the window, and I concentrated on that until I heard shifting from the bed below me. Duo...he was awake. 

I didn't move from my position, and it wasn't long before I saw Duo's head peeking over the rim of my bed. His hair was tousled and half-loose, but his eyes seemed wide awake, and his grin was as well. 

"Hey Heero, how'd you sleep?" He asked, pulling himself up on the bed with his arms, then rolling onto the mattress onto my converter covered legs. I could only groan in response, reaching back to grab the pillow out from under my head, then covering my face with it. I heard Duo laugh and threw off the pillow, smiling sheepishly at him. 

"So, what's for breakfast?" I asked, stretching, trying to make a conversation. I saw his eyes watch me as I sat up, running a hand through my sweaty bangs. It hit me that I needed a shower, but wasn't too thrilled about showering in those public showers again. 

"Plenty to choose from. Just make sure you ask me what's edible before you eat it." He flashed me a grin and jumped off the bed in a graceful swing over the bedside. I watched as he gathered his shower supplies. He had three combs of all different shapes and sizes, as well a thick brush, a huge container of conditioner as well as shampoo. I briefly wondered why he didn't just cut it off if it caused him so much trouble, not that I wanted him too. I had never seen his hair down but it still was beautiful. I followed Duo's lead and walked with him to the showers, hearing Trowa and Wufei stirring awake just as we made our exit. 

The showers were a lot more full than they had been yesterday afternoon, and I did my best tot keep my eyes to my myself, and the wall in front of me as a bathed. It was a lot more uncomfortable, of course, but once I was done Duo tossed a towel right to me. I smiled my thanks and we went back to the room to get dressed, Duo blushing his hair out along the way. I positioned myself to walk right behind him so I could stare at those beautiful brown locks, and was mesmerized by the way the tangles straightened out just a the brush went through them. When we got to the room Wufei and Trowa were gathering their shower supplies, greeted us good morning and exited to go get their showers. Duo and I dressed wordlessly, and when we were done he grabbed my arm and lead me outside after picking up some sort of bag by the door. He called it his book bag. 

Breakfast was short and easy, much like dinner was the night before. Duo had his infamous vitamin drink and I settled for some eggs and waffles, while I usually only had a grapefruit with sugar at the palace. My parents wouldn't allow anything else. Duo did pick at some of my scrambled eggs, witch made me feel better since he hadn't been eating good. Trowa and Wufei had sat down to eat with us also, and we talked and ate, and I enjoyed that moment before duo tugged me out of the orphanage, with no more than a "we have to go." 

While walking out I glanced down at myself, in the clothes that Duo had loaned me. Baggy blue jeans and a white T-shirt that hugged my body, different from all the silk and lace I had to wear at the palace, the clothes that took me at least a half hour to get on right. I wore the shoes I had bought before, which looked more comfortable than Duo's sandals. Maybe if I got enough money I would buy him some. If only I had my jewels back. After a while of walking I realized Duo was leading me to the school, recognizing the streets we had walked down yesterday. By then the hand that was grasping my arm had slid down to my own hand, and I couldn't help but grasp his hand as well. His long, silky hair was even more beautiful as it began to dry, it's magnificent color glistening in the sunlight. I was glad he had left it down, it made it easier to brush against my skin with it's softness. 

I guess this is the turn point for everything. A good morning turned into a horrible one even before we got to the school. To tell you the truth, it would have been a horrible morning anyway if Duo hadn't been there. I wasn't exactly enjoying my time being kidnapped. It was such a huge change for me, but somehow Duo had made it better. Everything about that changed that morning. 

I don't know how we were, or why, but Duo and I were ambushed, in brood daylight. You would think those damned assassins would wait until nightfall if they wanted to kidnap me for a second time, but it seemed they were in some sort of hurry, since they were at great risk of getting caught. One minute we were walking towards that dreaded school, and another a hand was over my mouth and a strong arm was picking me up by the waist and taking me into the same alley I had been dumped off at. Another one of them took Duo too, I guess so he would keep his mouth shut. It was when I discovered I couldn't escape that man's grip when it hit me that they were the same assassins that brought me there. 

There were three of them, just has a remembered them with their big bulky bodies and unshaven faces, stringy dirty hair and tiny eyes that were always glaring at you. I wanted to sock the one that was grasping Duo, around the waist with his dirty disgusting hand, with the other over Duo's mouth, keeping him quiet. I finally caught his gaze, and looked at him apologetically. I didn't have long to communicate with Duo using my eyes before the man tossed me into the alley, hard against the wall. Another man was still holding Duo, and I focussed on him, making sure he didn't hurt that boy. I brought myself to my knees, feeling blood trickle down my split bottom lip. 

What the hell do you want with me now?" I sneered, wiping away the blood. The largest man out of the three of them stepped forward, and grabbed the front of my shirt with his enormous hand. I heard Duo yelling something but was muffled by the man's hand over his mouth. I grasped the man's wrist with both my hands as he lifted me up off my feet, then slammed me into the wall again, pinning me there, hanging about two feet off the ground. I felt dizzy as the back of my head slammed against that wall. The last thing I saw was the man's tiny black eyes staring at me before I was out cold. 

AN-I've decided to end this chapter here, making it a bit short. ^_^ Sorry! But tell me what you think!   



	4. Losing what's Found

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing....MWAHAHA..but I am insane. 

Fic Notes: Violence, language, shounen ai, angst, sap 

At War with Peace   
-Chapter Four 

Losing what's Found 

Ah yes, I guess this is wear I must begin telling you about my present state. If you are curious, I am sitting on my bed right now; yes, the top bunk of my room in the orphanage, staring out the window. To say the least, I'm frightened, horrified, and trying to gather my thoughts. Duo is no longer here. They took him away from me. I guess I should tell you what happened. Curiosity can be such torture sometimes. Well, I guess I left off with the assassins. Those bastards were strong, but I wasn't about to let them hurt Duo or myself. 

When I woke up I expected to be in that nasty cage again, maybe strapped down, with a couple broken bones. However, I didn't except to wake up in a small, dark, hot area with an extreme lack of oxygen. It didn't take me long to realize I was in a sack, and someone was dragging me across the ground. Damn, how do I get into these situations. I was about to surrender to them, let them take me back to Relena's palace, then I remembered Duo. I was thankful for my tough training and I struggled in that bag enough to get it out of the assassin's hands. Ad quickly as I could, I tore open the top with my fists and inhaled the cool air that hit me. Almost an instant later I could feel that giant, ugly body pinning me down and trying to force me out of the sack. With a swing of my elbow I got him to back off long enough to allow me to crawl out of the sack. There I came face to face with the other two assassins. 

I spotted another sake, assuming Duo was inside it, and launched myself at the assassin that possessed it. He tried to block his face with his arm but I was too quick for that huge, bulky, flabby body and did an uppercut to his jaw. I hoped I had broken it. The other two, who were screaming nonsense curses at me, I got them down on the ground with my speed. Unfortunately, I knew they wouldn't be down for long. They were huge, and I knew I couldn't get all three of them unconscious. I hated to do it, but to save time, I grabbed the sack that Duo was in and dragged it along as I ran, as fast as my exhausted and bruised legs could carry me. 

"We'll find you, Yuy! You can run but you can't hide!" I almost rolled my eyes as I heard one of the assassins shout to me. Couldn't he at *least* think of something original to say? They couldn't catch me, I was fast, and I kept running. All I had to do was think about Duo's safety and I could run forever. Sweat stung my eyes but I ignored the pain, and kept my pace. It hit me that I didn't know how far away from the town the assassins took me, and that I might have to run a long way. I knew for sure Duo wasn't enjoying the ride inside that sack, and neither was I. Once I was sure I was too far out of site for those assassins, I ran around a mountain and plopped myself and Duo into some tall grass there. I was breathing so hard I thought I would pass out. 

I immediately focussed on getting Duo out of that bag, mumbling curses as I struggled with the tie. In my frustration, I ripped the bag open, and pulled an unconscious Duo out, lying him on the grass. I used a torn piece of bag to wipe some of the sweat off Duo's face, pushing his soaked bangs back out of his eyes. He was breathing, so I decided to wait until he got up on his own to start heading out of there. I lied down next to him in the grass, resting the back of one hand on my forehead as a block from the sun's hot rays beating down on my face. 

I didn't have to wait long for Duo to come around. Mere minutes later I heard him groan in discomfort and he snuggled up against my side. I didn't want to lose him again so I shook his shoulders, pulling him away from me. 

"Are you all right?" I asked, keeping my hands on his shoulders. The fabric of his T-shirt was damp with sweat. He looked at me under sleepy eyelids and nodded, but then snuggled up against me again, burying his head in the crook of my neck. 

"Duo, we have to get out of here. The assassins could catch up and then we're dead meat." I said, pushing him away firmly. He groaned and sat up, stretching out his arms and legs, and blinked at me curiously. 

"Assassins? W-what do they want with you?" He asked, scooting closer to me. I blinked, noticing his multiple acts of affection. I however, wasn't used to so much human contact, not that I was complaining. Duo just to seemed to like being close to me, and I wasn't afraid to admit I liked being close to him too. It was such a change of attitude compared the people that used to be around me. Duo nudged me, trying to get my attention, and then asked the question again. 

"I really don't know. Can we just...go?" I asked impatiently. With another yawn Duo nodded, but then slumped down next to me again, completely ignoring what I had said.. I sighed. He was exhausted, and probably in a lot of pain, "All right, I'll carry you. Is town near here?" I asked, nudging him gently with my elbow. Duo nodded again and waved his arm, indicating the direction I should go in. I frowned a bit, before scooping him up in my arms and carrying towards town. It was different, I hadn't really ever had to carry anyone anywhere, it was always the other way around. As I looked down at Duo I was glad in felt secure in my arms, that tiny smile on his face as he rested his head against my chest, sinking into me. It was right then at that time that I first wanted to kiss him. 

The walk was a little further than I'd hoped, and by the time we got to town my arms hurt like the devil. I wanted to set him down right as we approached the orphanage but when I looked down into my arms I found that he had fallen asleep. I sighed and carried the burden in my arms up the steps and into the building, and from there found my way back to our room. However, someone was deliberately standing in my way. She was young woman, maybe in her early twenties, with glasses and dark red hair pulled back into a bun. In her arms she held a clipboard, and was looking at me rather sternly. I knew instantly she was some sort of teacher. 

"Are you Heero Yuy?" She asked me, not looking at me but the boy in my arms. 

"Yes.." Her quick eyes darted immediately up to my face, studying me, then back down to Duo. 

"I don't know if you know this but no students of the school for orphans can be excused from class on any day without a good excuse. If that rule is broken we immediately assume that the student or students were 'skipping class.' I understand that you're new here, and you haven't even had your interview or physical examination yet, but it against the rules and I'm going to ask you and your friend a few questions." The woman said all of this so fast that I couldn't understand half the things she was saying, so I guess she determined that from my blank look and pulled me inside of my dorm. 

I put Duo down on his bed to rest before climbing up to mine, sitting on the edge of it, feet dangling. The woman was looking over our room with somewhat disgust in her expression and didn't bother to sit down, she just looked up at me. 

"So, Mr. Heero Yuy, are you using the name of the heir to the Rippa Na Tatemono estate as a joke or is that your real name?" She asked, preparing the scribble something down on her clipboard. I was taken back. I couldn't possibly tell her the truth, that would get me in a lot of trouble, the trouble I'd be in when those assassins found me again. 

"Actually, I'm..uh..decendent from the Yuy family, but since they're all dead now, I really don't have anywhere to go." I lied, putting on the best act as I could as the lonely little orphan. She studied my expression again, probably checking to see if I'd crack, but just shook her head and wrote something on her clipboard. 

"And why weren't you in school today. Your friend over there missed a big exam." She pointed her pen at Duo, who was still sleeping. 

"Personal reasons." I snapped, "You can punish us if you want, but I'll assure you Duo will make up the test and we will be in school tomorrow." Of course it was just a cover up story. I didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow, or the rest of today for that matter. The woman's only reaction was write on her clipboard, then open the door. Before stepping outside she turned back to me. 

"I'm going to schedule you an interview with Mr. Morgan, head counselor here. Tomorrow after school, Duo'll show you to his office." With that the woman turned on her heel and left, nearly slamming the door behind her. I stared at the closed door for a moment, in thought, then turned back to Duo. He was still sleeping, and hadn't moved since I'd placed him there on the bed. I hopped down from my bed and kneeled beside Duo's, brushing his bangs to the side so I could see his face. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at me, and smiled. 

"You all right?" He asked. I nodded. 

"But I'm sure those guys aren't going to just quit looking for me. I think from now on I should go alone. I don't want you getting hurt again." He frowned and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

"Why are they looking for you? They're the ones that dumped you off here." Duo said angrily. I sighed and shrugged, not really knowing the answer to that question. The only thing I could think of was that Relena wanted me back, which would be odd anyway since she must have ordered the assassins to take me here. Anyway, I didn't want to tell Duo about me having a fiance. I hoped I would never have to see that witch again. I hoped I could stay at the orphanage and start living a semi-normal life. Duo's laughter interrupted my thoughts. I gave him a confused look.   
  
"I was just thinking about how I missed my exam today. Boy, am I gonna be in trouble for that." He chuckled. I didn't understand why he was laughing at a situation like that, but I couldn't help smiling slightly too. At the same time, I was scared. I had almost gotten caught, and Duo had almost gotten hurt because of me. I figured the safest thing to do was to just stay at the orphanage, but I would never know how long I would have to stay there. The school was about two blocks away from the orphanage, and I knew the assassins would look there sooner or later. The thought of just turning myself in crossed my mind. At least that would keep Duo safe. 

"Hey, Heero?" Duo said. I looked at him, acknowledging. The moment I turned my head Duo captured my lips. I was taken completely by surprise and didn't react at first, then after a moment closed my eyes, melting into him, returning to kiss, deeply, passionately, and I had no idea what I was doing. I felt Duo smile against my lips and then pull away, grinning. "Sorry. I just really wanted to do that." He breathed. I nodded absentmindedly, as in a trance. 

Why does he always have to make everything so difficult for me? 

The rest of the day we went about with our normal routine. We stayed inside that day, just to be safe, but Duo had told me we would have to go to school the next day. We spent hours trying to think of a safe route, but there was no way to get around being seen by people. I told him about my idea to go separately, and how I would just meet him there instead of walking with him. He didn't really like that idea, but agreed after much convincing. I also told him about the teacher that came into our dorm, but he just said that I needed to be interviewed. Great, something to look forward too. 

That night, after Trowa and Wufei got home, Duo and I pretended nothing had happened that day. They were of course suspicious about us not being at school, but Duo somehow managed to change the subject before they started questioning us. They had brought Duo's homework back for him, and that's what he was busy on until late that night. I stayed up with him until he was done, sitting next to him, placing gentle kisses on his lips and neck once in a while. We talked, but not about the assassins, not about our pasts, nor our futures, just talked. I think I've learned to like talking more than listening. 

Once Duo's homework was finished, we crawled into our bunks after changing into our sleep clothes. I heard Duo mumble something then the shuffling of blankets, and silence. He must have been pretty tired. I laid back, pulling the covers up to my chin, and had dreams filled with worry, concern, and hope for tomorrow morning. 

The next morning I learned that my dreams of hope were vain, for in the short time that I had fallen asleep, the short time that I couldn't keep an eye on Duo and make sure he wasn't going to get hurt, they took him away from me. I don't know how, or why anyone would want to keep hurting Duo like that, hurting me like that. It was a war. I struggle for peace, and Duo was being used as a tool. It was all my fault. I should have gone silently, at least then Duo wouldn't have to be involved in this. I would go back to that horrible land and live the life I hated, the life I had lived for the past fifteen years. I was a fool to think that I would be able to love someone, and that they would be with me forever. I only cause pain. I am merely a tool for leadership, and my humanity would be forsaken in the name of Relena Peacecraft. 

So here I am now, sitting on my bed, looking out the window, hot tears sliding down my cheeks and dripping onto the paper that they left on Duo's pillow. Security had done nothing, nobody had heard anything. However, I held the truth in my hands. I'm not going to bother telling Trowa or Wufei, or even the people that run the orphanage. I will not go to the interview they have scheduled for me. I have mission, and as soon as that mission is complete I am going to kill myself. I will end the mystery in my life, and the misery I have caused in the lives of others. It's not a game anymore. 

"Heero Yuy, heir to the throne of Rippa Na Tatemono, 

I'm sure you remember us. We were sent on a mission to retrieve you from this island by orders of Relena Peacecraft, our devoted Queen. However, since you've refused to take the responsibilities of acting in an orderly manner and becoming King of our nation as the Queen orders you to, we have no choice but to take drastic measures. We have your friend, Duo Maxwell with us, at the same alley that we found you by yesterday. If you are not hear by 9:00 this morning, ready to take your place as Queen Relena's husband and King, your friend, Duo Maxwell, will be destroyed. Either way, you are still coming with us, and there will be no way out of it this time. You may think you have power, but we assure you, you will have much greater power once you become Kind of the nation. 

PS: Don't be a fool." 

To be concluded 


End file.
